Vehicle-top



v Patented Oct. II, I898. A. LENOX I P.

No. 6|2,l36.

J. L. MERRITT v| -:H|c (Applicatio n & D.

LE T0 filed Jan. 2

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE L. MERRITT AND DAVID A. LENOX, OF SALEM, MISSOURI.

VEHICLE-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,136, dated October 11, 1898.

Application filed anuary 20, 1898. Serial No. 667,328. (No modeh) simple, strong, and inexpensive means for bracing the back of the buggy-top when it is raised and to support said top when it is lowered.

Vith this object in view the invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the body of a bugg illustrating the application of our invention and the position of the parts when the top is raised. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the relative arrangement of parts when the top is lowered, and Fig. 3 is a detail View of the back-supporting bow.

In said drawings, 1 denotes the body of the buggy, and 2 the buggy-top, which is connected to the back in the well-known manner by the usual bows and braces.

It is a well-known fact that the back curtain of the buggy-top is subject to considerable strain and is damaged or becomes unshapely by the occupant of the buggy lunging or pressing against the same. To overcome this tendency is one of the objects of our invention, and to furnish a support for the entire buggy when it is folded into the position shown in Fig. 2 is the other object of our invention. To this end we provide a back-supporting bow A, which is clipped to the rear bow of the top at points a and extends around the back curtain of the top. Links B, having eyes Oat their ends, connect the said bow with laterally-projecting studs or extensions of the bumper 3. As shown in Fig. 1, when the top is elevated the horizontally-disposed portion of the bow is drawn firmly against the back curtain, and when the top is lowered, as shown in Fig. 2, the horizontal portion of the bow rests upon iron wear-plates D, secured to the upper edges of the rear ends of the sides of the body, thus supporting the entire top, thereby preventing unnecessary creasing of the material of which it is formed, as well as preserving its shape, thus materially increasing the life of the top.

Although we have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the several elements of our invention, we do not desire to be confined to the same, as such changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the scope of our invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with the body of a buggy and its top, of a back-supporting bow hinged to the rear bow of the top and extending around the back of the top, and links pivoted to said how and to the body, whereby when the top is elevated the back curtain will be braced, and when the top is lowered it will be supported entirely by the back-supporting bow, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JESSE L. MERRITT. DAVID A. LENOX.

Witnesses: I

JOHN E. ORGAN, WALLACE MCDONALD. 

